Refrigerating apparatus.



rmrran STATES PATENT onirica.

WILLIAM M. PRUETT, OF GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA, ASSIGNDR 0F TWO-THIBDS TO JOSEPH W. KRUEGER, 0F ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS.

Specicat; of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

Application tiled September 25, 1913. Serial No. 791,796.

To all whom 'it-.may concern Be it known that I, WiLLIAM M. Pntm'rr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Greensboro, in the county of Guilford and State of North Carolina, have invented a new and' useful Refrigerating Apparatus, of which the followingv is a specification.

This invention has reference to improvements in refrigerating apparatus, and 1s designed to provide means for the automatlc control thereof and for the conservation of energy represented by the expanded gas.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a compressor having a valve structure controlling the compressed and expanded gas in its travel from and toward the compressor, and there is also provided a condenser struct-ure into which the compressed gas is directed for the elimination of the heat of compression and also into which expanded gas after performing the work of refrigeration is directed to aid in the elimination of the heat of the com ressed gas, the action being facilitated by a owing bath of water or the like passing through the condenser in operative relation to both the compressed gas and the expanded gas.

The present invention is suited for the use of different refrigerants such as ammonia, and anhydrous sulfur dioxid gas, but customarily the sulfur dioxid gas is to be preferred, particularly as the degree of compressionl necessary is materially less than that needed for ammonia gas.

The invention will be best understood from'a consideration of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specificatiomwith the further understanding that while the drawings show a practical form of the invention, the latter is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings but.may bel changed and modified so ong as such changes and modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a more or less diagrammatic view showing some parts structurally in elevation and others in section of a refrigerating plant embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view partly in longitudinal section of a compressor constructed in accordance with'the present invention. Fig. is a vertical Section of a condenser constructed in accordance with the present invention, the section being about midway of the axial length of the condenser. Fig. t is an end elevation of the compressor structure and valve structure' thereon. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal or axial section of the valve structure shown in Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings there is shown a compressor cylinder l provided with a piston 2 and piston rod 3 and surrounding the cylinder is a cooling jacket 4 which be4 cause water is the usual cooling agent may be termed a water jacket. On opposite sides of the Water jacket 4 are axially spaced lugs 5, 6, respectively. Mounted to move in the direction of its length through the spaced lugs 5 is a rod 7, and mounted to move in the direction of its length through the spaced lugs 6 is another rod 8, the rods 7 and 8 being on opposite sides of the piston rod 3. At the outer or free end of the piston rod '3 there is'secured a block 9 held in place by a jam nut 10 o'r otherwise, and to this block 9 is secured the corresponding ,end of the rod 8 which is bent as shown at 11 for the purpose, so that the body of thevrod 8 is parallel with the piston rod 3 and may slide through the bearings in the spaced lugs 6, these bearings being properly alined.

The block 9 carries a Wrist pin 12 having an axial continuation 13 and mounted on' the wrist pin 12 between the block 9 and the set collar 111 of the wrist pin is one end of a pitman 15, the other end ofwhich is mounted in a Wrist pin 16 carried by a driving disk 17 fast to one end of a shaft 18,

rotated a reciprocatory movement is imparted to the piston rod 3 and piston 2, so that the latter is caused to travel back and forth Within the cylinder 1. Y

At the end of the cylinder 1 remote from that traversed by the piston rod 3 there is provided a head 24 having a nipple 25 thereon traversed by a passage 26 andfapplied to this nipple is a valve casing 27 in which there is 4lodged a valve 28 which may be of the plug type. The valve casin yis formed 5 with an appropriate seat for t e plug 28 and the latter is provided with an axial stem 29 traversing a packing gland 30 applied to the valve casing with intermediate a-cking 31. The casing is supplied with divergent nipples 32, 33, respectively,- threaded for the reception of pipes 3, 35, respectively, to which reference will hereinafter be made. The valve plug 23 is hollow and its interior is reached through a circumferentially elon- 35 gated port 36 and another port 37 approximately opposite the por# 35. The valve is so arranged as to act a. two-way valve placing the interior ci the cylinder' 1 in communication with either one or the other of the pipes 34 and The Vvalve stem 29 beyond the gland 30 has secured thereto a rock arm'38, so that movements of the arm will cause an ap ropriate rocking of the valve in its Seat. I his rock arm is connected by a stud 39 to the end of the rod 7 adjacent tothe head At appropriate points on the rod 7 are ad justable fingers 40 and 41, respectively, each carried by a collar surrounding the rod and 3o held in place by a set screw 42. The fingers 40 and 41 are suitably adjusted in the path of the extension 13 of' the wrist pin 12, so that as the piston red 3 is reciprocated the extension 13 will engage one or the other of the two fingers, thus moving the rod 7 longitudinally and correspondingly rocking the valve plug 2S at times corresponding to the approach of the piston rod to the ends of its stroke. Il.' it be assumed that in the osi- 40 tion shown in Fig. 2 the cylinder l is lled with an .appropriate gas and that the piston rod has begun its travel toward the head 24, then the as within the cylinder is forced into the pipe 35, since in this position of the parts the port 37 opens to the pipe 35. As soon as the extei'ision of the wrist pin l2 reaches the linger rod 7 is moved in' a direction and to an extent to shift the valve plug 28 to bring the port 37 into coincidence with the pipe 311, the port 36 still remaining communication with'the passage 26. New, on the movement of the pis-l ton in the reverse or suction direction, gas within the pipe 34 is drawn into-the cylinder,

and this continues until the retractive movemcnt of the piston is nearly completed,

when the continuation 13 engages the i'inger 41 and the rod 7 is moved toward the rst position, thus elosin the pipe 34 and opening the pipe 35 to ti e cylinder, so that the compression stroke will again force the gas Yn into the cylinder into the pipe which the compressed gas is forced, andv from this lter there extends a pipe 45 carried to a condenser structure 46. This condenser structure as shown in the drawings 'is provided with a shallow circular casing 47 which may be constructed of two half sections, both terminating in marginal flanges 48 connected together' by bolts 49 or otherwise and at an appropriate point the marginal ilange 48 of each halt section merges into an expanded base portion 50 for sustaining the condenser structure. p The interior of the condenser structure, which is relativelyvv shallow in the direction of its longitudinal axis, is entered by a water inlet pipe 5l. and a water outlet pipe 52, the inlet being at the 'bottom of the casing and. the outlet at the top and the water is used as a cooling agent. lVater represents the most easily obtainable material for cooling, and while water is usually employed in the casing 46 it is to be understood as indicative of any suitable cooling agent..

Lod ed within the casing 7 are two spilral coi s 53,' 54, respectively, in close parallel relation one to the other and both arranged to be immersed in water flowing through the casing. The ipe 45 leads into the casing 46 on one si e thereof' and at substan tially'the center of the casing and communicates with the corresponding portion of the coil 53, while the outer marginal turn of the coil 53 is carried out of the casing 46 and is connected to a pipe 55 leading to a. pipe coil 56 immersed in a brine tank 57, the pipe 55 including an expansion valve 58 which may be of ordinary construction. The

. brine tank 57 is only indicated diagrammatically in Fig. 1 of the drawing, but it will be understood that the construction of the brine tank follows the customary practice. That end of the coil 56 remote from the pipe 55 is connected to a pipe 59 leading away' from the brine tank and .in turn connected to the central portion of the coi-l 54, While the outer turn of the coil 54 is connected to the pipe 35 constituting the return pipe to the compressor 1.

As the compressed gas leaves the compressor by Wa o the pipe 3s, filter 43 and pipe 45 it is re atively hot and is carried through the coil 53 in the presence ot the cooling agent entering the casing 46 through the pipe 51, whereby the gas loses the heat ofA compression and is thereby reduced in teinperature. The cool gas leaves the condenser by way of the pipe 55 and at the valve 58v is allowed to expand, and in the expanded condition passes through the coil 56 in the brine tank, thus refrigerating the brine in tl mal manner. The gas which leaves the m J6 by way of the pipe 59 is still cool and cold gas is directed through the coil 54.: immersed. in the iiovving through the Condenser and in close relation to the coil 355, so that the temperature of the gas with ir. the coil 53 is markedly 'reduced and this reduction of temperature is to a much lower degree than would occur were fiwing Water at normal temperature wholly depended upon and the desired reduction of temperature of the compressed gas flowing to the brine tank coil is more economically attained and requires but a fractional portion of cooling water as compared with the usual practice of depending upon the cooling water alone for the initial chilling of the compressed gas,

The expanded gas after performing the ollice of a supplemental chilling medium for the compressed gas flows to the compressor to be drawn thereinto and again compressed for direction again to the condenser, and from thence to the brine tank.

The hot compressed gases enter the condenser coil 53 at the central portion thereof and outflow at thf marginal portion thereof, while the cold expanded gas enters the comi panion coil 54 at the center thereof and flows out through the marginal portion. The hot compressed gas is therefore subjected to the action of a progressively cooler chilling medium from its entrance into the condenser to its outfiow therefrom.

What is claimed is 1. In a refrigerating apparatus, a refrigerating coil, a compressor having an intake and dlscharge, a spiral condenser coil connected on one side with the compressor and on the other side with the refrigerating coil, a cooling chamber inclosing the condenser coil and provided with means for the flow of a cooling medium therethrough, and another the irst-named coil therein, said second coil being connected on one side to the refrigerating coil and on the other side to the intake of the compressor.

2. In a refrigerating apparatus, a refrigerating coil, a compressor having an intake and a discharge, a spiral condenser coil connected at the central portion with the discharge of the compressor and at the marginal portion with the refrigerator coil, a cooling chamber or casing inclosing the condenser coil and provided with means for the inlet and discharge of a cooling medium, and another spiral coil housed within the cooling chamber in close and substantially parallel relation to the first-named coil, the second-named spiral coil having its central portion connected to the refrigerating coil and its marginal portion to the intake of the compressor.

3. In refrigerating apparatus, a condenser comprising a casing with two closely associated coils in parallel relation, each coil being in the form of a spiral and provided at the ends with inlet and outlet means with those of one coil being independent of those of the other, and the casing having inlet and outlet means for a cooling medium independent of the coils.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed myA signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM M. PRUETT.

Witnesses:

JOHN H. Sloomzs, EDITH L. BROWN. 

